Pillow for the prevention of cranial deformities in newborns

ABSTRACT

The pillow has an orifice of suitable dimensions, which decreases the local pressure exerted on the skull, which is formed by a body of foam or another material deformable under pressure and a fabric coating which protects the core and improves the hold of the head, whose coating has an upper layer and another lower one sewn together in the same orifice and followings its perimeter and at mid height of the foam core, although the fabric, due to its physical, elastic or contraction properties, offers sufficient support and said upper and lower layers do not require being joined together in the perimeter of the orifice. The cavity formed has dimensions which adapt to the natural shape of the newborn baby&#39;s head.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

The invention described and claimed hereinbelow is also described in Spanish Utility Model No. 200900122 filed on Jan. 22, 2009, 2008. This Spanish Utility Model, whose subject matter is incorporated here by reference, provides the basis for a claim of priority of invention under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to pillows for supporting newborn heads.

Newborns spend a large part of the day lying down in supine position, whether it be sleeping, playing or travelling. The weight of the head itself causes a moulding of the bones against the contact surface, creating flat areas on the cranium.

In Asia, cushions stuffed with rice or soy seeds have been used for thousands of years to decrease the pressure on babies' craniums.

In western countries, newborns have traditionally slept in prone position, i.e. lying face down, so there is no precedent of this type. Nevertheless, since 1992 the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that babies less than one year-old be placed in supine position to reduce the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

The conventional pillows used to support the head of newborns have a series of drawbacks including the danger of suffocation due to the sponginess of the material, and the development of mites and other small insects which can cause allergic reactions in contact with the skin.

Also noteworthy is that the conventional pillows are manufactured with synthetic materials which may contain chemical products capable of producing allergic reactions when they make contact with the baby's skin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An anatomical pillow of the present invention reduces the pressure exerted on the cranium of a newborn when it is lying down in the supine position, i.e., face up.

The specially designed shape of this pillow prevents all types of postural cranial deformations and helps to correct congenital deformations. The three main deformations are called Plagiocephaly, Brachycephaly and Scaphocephaly, depending on the shape adapted by the cranium.

This pillow has been designed to support the head, minimizing the local pressures thereon and permitting a correct development of the baby's cranium.

The pillow proposed has been devised to completely and satisfactorily resolve the drawbacks of the existing pillows, being an anatomical pillow with suitable structural or configurative characteristics to, on the one hand, fulfil the function of supporting a lying down newborn on the pillow so that the pressure of the weight of the head itself is spread over a broad enough surface and so that the spinal column and the head are correctly aligned.

The pillow of the invention is formed by a flat foam body with a central orifice and a textile protection and support covering.

When the newborn supports its head in the orifice of the pillow, it is held at the foamy edges of the central orifice and also by the fabric which covers the foam. Therefore, a head support is achieved without high pressure points, which will prevent the appearance of flat areas on the cranium.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a center of the pillow in accordance with the present invention in its version with orifice;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the pillow of FIG. 1 in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the pillow in accordance with the present invention in its version with concave cavity;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the pillow of FIG. 3 in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section of the pillow in accordance with the present invention with orifice and of fabric (8) which covers it, with upper and lower fabrics joined through the orifice and following the perimeter thereof;

FIG. 6 is a view showing a newborn using the pillow in accordance with the present invention and the shape taken by the foam and the fabric to adapt to the head;

FIG. 7 is a view showing a schematic perspective image of the pillow in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The pillow in accordance with the present invention is designed to be used for supporting newborn heads.

The center of the pillow can be made up of several natural foamy materials such as, for example, latex, or artificial materials such as, for example, polyurethane foam. Likewise, more traditional stuffing can be used such as cotton or wool.

The pillow has a central orifice which can be complete, and even completely pass through the center of the pillow, creating a ring-shaped pillow. It can also be partial, creating a concave area where the head of the newborn can be rested.

The orifice or cavity (2 and 10) should preferably have a diameter of between 5 and 9 cm, and can exceed both limits to adapt to newborns of different ages and weights.

The part of the center where the nape of the neck (3) rests should preferably have a width of between 4 and 6 cm, and can exceed both limits to adapt to newborns of different ages and weights.

The thickness of the center of the pillow (4) shall preferably be between 3 and 5 cm and can exceed both limits to adapt to newborns of different ages and weights. The two faces (5, 6) of the center can be parallel or offer a slight difference to offer greater comfort for the baby.

The center of the pillow is covered with one or several layers of fabric (8) which fulfil the essential function of gently holding the head, sharing out the pressure in the area of the orifice and adapting to the specific shape of the user in the event that the orifice is whole (FIGS. 1 and 2). Both sides of this fabric are used to hold the head. The secondary function of this fabric is that of protecting the center from possible vomiting and sweat brought about by the user.

In the version with the concave area, the lowest point thereof should preferably be between 7 and 10 cm from the outer edge of the pillow and this shall have a diameter of between 5 and 9 centimetres.

The anatomical pillow in accordance with the invention has a single-piece body (1), of spongy material, solid, considerably level, of variable outer dimensions depending on the use of the pillow. The exterior shape is preferably an oval with diameters of 25 and 33 cm or a circle with an outer diameter of 22 cm.

Preferably, the pillow shall be made up by a 100% natural latex body and covered with a 100% cotton elastic fabric. In its main form, the pillow shall have an orifice (2) of between 6 and 8 cm in diameter. The width of the part of the ring intended to support the neck (3) shall preferably be 3 cm and with a thickness of 3 cm. The fabric shall be sewn achieving the perimeter of the orifice, thus joining the upper and lower layers.

On the other hand, the pillow will preferably exhibit the special feature that the foam center is highly dense compared to traditional pillows. It can have density between 70 and 130 Kg/m³.

The outer perimeter of the pillow (9) can adopt any shape whether it be strictly decorative or specifically, designed to adapt to a specific place such as, for example, a baby pram.

On the other hand, the pillow, in its version with orifice, exhibits the special feature of being reversible, where it can be used on both sides. This is an advantage during the warmer months when it can be more easily stained with sweat.

The materials, shape, size and arrangement of the elements can be varied as long as this does not alter the essentiality of the invention.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a pillow for the prevention of cranial deformities in newborns, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention. 

1. A pillow for a head of a newborn, comprising a body composed of a material which is deformable under pressure and having an orifice decreasing a local pressure exerted on a cranium; and a fabric cover protecting a center and improving holding of the head, said fabric having an upper layer and a lower layer which are sewn together in said orifice following a perimeter of the latter at a medium height of a center of said body.
 2. A pillow as defined in claim 1, wherein the material of said body is a foam material.
 3. A pillow as defined in claim 1, wherein said fabric is a fabric offering sufficient support due to its own physical, elastic or contactive properties.
 4. A pillow as defined in claim 1, wherein said lower layer and said upper layer are not joined along said perimeter of said orifice.
 5. A pillow as defined in claim 1, wherein said fabric includes an outer protective fabric which is permanently attached to said body without a possibility of removal without destroying said body.
 6. A pillow as defined in claim 1, wherein said body has upper and lower faces of a center, which are arranged parallel to each other to improve a comfort of the newborn.
 7. A pillow as defined in claim 1, wherein said body has upper and lower faces of a center, which are arranged with a slight inclination to improve a comfort of the newborn.
 8. A pillow as defined in claim 1, wherein said body has a strictly decorative shape on its outer perimeter.
 9. A pillow as defined in claim 1, wherein said body has a shape provided for a specific use selected from a group consisting of for a cradle and for a baby pram.
 10. A pillow as defined in claim 1, wherein said body is a body composed of natural forming latex and produced by heat molding.
 11. A pillow for a head of a newborn, comprising a body having a cavity of dimensions such that said cavity adapts to the natural shape of the head of a newborn for decreasing local pressure points on its head.
 12. A pillow as defined in claim 11, and further comprising a layer of fabric which covers said body to protect a center of the pillow.
 13. A pillow as defined in claim 11, wherein said fabric includes an outer protective fabric which is permanently attached to said body without a possibility of removal without destroying said body.
 14. A pillow as defined in claim 11, wherein said body has upper and lower faces of a center, which are arranged parallel to each other to improve a comfort of the newborn.
 15. A pillow as defined in claim 11, wherein said body has upper and lower faces of a center, which are arranged with a slight inclination to improve a comfort of the newborn.
 16. A pillow as defined in claim 11, wherein said body has a strictly decorative shape on its outer perimeter.
 17. A pillow as defined in claim 11, wherein said body has a shape provided for a specific use selected from a group consisting of for a cradle and for a baby pram.
 18. A pillow as defined in claim 11, wherein said body is a body composed of natural forming latex and produced by heat molding. 